Floor-jack.



J. W. MARSH.

FLOOR JACK.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1.1909.

Patented Mar. 1,1910.

JOHN WINDLE MARSH, OF CANON CITY, COLORADO.

FLOOR-JACK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 7, 1909.

Patented Mar. 1, 1910. Serial No. 511,781.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jonx \V. Mausn, a citizen of the United States,residing at Canon City, in the county of Fremont and State of Colorado,have invented a .new and useful Floor-Jack, of which the following is aspecification.

My present invention relates to improvements on the floor jack shown inLetters Patent Number 922,930, granted to me May 25, 1909.

The object of the present invention is to improve the means for lockingthe rack bar in its projected position and also to provide aconstruction by which the jack will have a more sightly appearance thanthe jack shown in my previous patent. These objects are attained by theuse of the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, andthe invention consists in certain novel features of the same, as will behereinafter first fully described and then particularly pointed out inthe appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a floor jackconstructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a centrallongitudinal section of the same, and Fig. 3 is a detail transversevertical section on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

My improved floor jack comprises a base plate 1 having upstandingflanges 2 at its sides and a rack bar 3 slidably mounted on the baseplate and guided in grooves f in the inner faces of the side flanges 2,as clearly shown. An operating lever 5 is mounted in the side flanges 2above the rack bar, and is provided at its lower end with a segmentalgear 6 meshing with the teeth 7 on the upper side of the rack bar sothat when the lever is vibrated, the rack bar will he movedlongitudii'ially of the base plate so as to be projected from betweenthe flanges 2 or withdrawn so as to lie entirely between the same, aswill be readily understood. At its outer end the rack bar is providedwith the usual grooved cross bar 8 adapted to engage the tenons of theflooring when the device is in use, and the rear ends of the flanges 2and the base plate are chamfercd, as indicated at 9. A plate 10 issecured to the said chamfered end of the base plate and flanges,

and the said plate carries rearwardly and downwardly projecting spurs 11which are adapted to engage a suitable portion of the floor-supportingmembers in order to anchor the jack in its operative position.

The base plate is provided in its upper side with a longitudinal grooveor recess 12 and in the said recess 1 secure a leaf spring 13, the frontend of which is adapted to engage ratchet teeth let formed on theunder-side of the rack bar 3, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Theresiliency of this spring holds it normally out of engagement with theratchet teeth, and in order to throw the spring into engagement with thesaid teeth and thereby hold the rack bar in its projected position Iprovide a cam 15 which is journaled in a suitable recess, formed in thesupporting frame, and provided with a flat face 16 adapted to bearagainst the underside of the spring dog or pawl, as clearly shown, andas will be readily uiu'lcrstood. The cam shaft is provided at one endwith a finger piece 18 playing in a recess 19 formed in the outer faceof one side flange L. A keeper plate 20 is titted in the recess 1!) andserves to cover the same, the upper edge of the said keeper plate beingprovided with a notch 21 in which the finger piece '18 plays so that themovement of the cam shaft will be thereby limited.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawing, it is thought that the operation and advantages ofthe device will be readily appreciated. The supporting frame, consistingof the base plate and the side flanges rising therefrom, is placed inposition and anchored by having the spurs 11 eiigaged in a convenientportion of the floor-supporting members and the operating lever 5 isthen thrown upward and backward so as to drive the rack bar forwardthereby causing the grooved cross bar 8 to engage the flooring and movethe sections of the same into intimate engagement so that there will beno cracks in the finished floor. 11011 the jack is not in use or when itis desired to remove the jack from its operative position, the cam shaftis turned so as to bring the flat face of the same into engagement withthe spring pawl or dog and permit the said dog or pawl to disengage fromthe ratchet teeth of the sliding bar. The bar may then be easilyreturned to its initial position over the base plate and between theflanges of the same. \Vhen the device is to be used, the cam shaft isturned so as to bring its umnutilated convex face against the springpawl,'and the greater radius of the cam shaft will thereby force thepawl into engagement with the ratchet teeth of the sliding bar so thatthe said bar cannot move backward to its position over the base plate,outward movement of the bar, however, being permitted as the end of thepawl will yield to the passage of the ratchet teeth, as will be readilyunderstood.

It will be noticed, more particularly on reference to Fig. 2 of thedrawings, that the anchoring spurs 11 are disposed above the base plateso that the anchorage of the jack will be exerted more nearly in thelongitudinal line of the movable rack bar so that the jack will be morefirmly held in its operative position, and the slidable bar will becaused to apply its force more directly upon the sections of theflooring so that gouging or breaking of the tongues on the flooring willbe entirely overcome.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim is:

1. The combination of a supporting frame having its rear end chamfered,a cross plate secured to said chamfered end, and anchoring spurs carriedby the said plate and projecting rearwardly and downwardly therefrom.

2. The combination with a supporting frame, of a slidable bar mountedtherein and provided with ratchet teeth on its under-side, a spring pawlseated in the frame below the said bar and adapted to engage the saidratchet teeth, and a cam shaft journaled in the frame below the saidpawl and bearing against the under-side of the same.

'3. In a flooring jack, the combination of a supporting frame, aslidable bar mounted in the said frame and provided with ratchet teethon its under-side, means for reciprocating the said bar, a spring pawlseated in the frame below the said bar and engaging the said ratchetteeth, a cam shaft j ournaled in the frame below the said pawl andbearing against the under-side of the same, the said shaft having ahandle portion playing in a recess in the supporting frame, and a keepersecured over the said recess and engaging the said handle portion of thecam shaft to limit the movement of the same.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN WVINDLE MARSH.

Witnesses:

AUGUs'rUs PnAsn, WV. M. FRIEND.

